Crucial August task ensures orchids 'flower all summer long' and grow 'big and strong'
Fertiliser helps orchids flower
Orchid enthusiasts will enjoy an abundance of blooms throughout August - but the houseplants have several needs that must be met.
Most importantly, their watering routine needs careful attention as temperatures soar.
During dry spells, gardeners should water their plants more frequently with rainwater or recycled wastewater.
Because the houseplants enjoy rapid growth in August, thanks to optimal lighting conditions and temperature, it's worth following up with a fertiliser.
Water the plants more frequently during hot spells
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This will help coax the plants into bloom and ensure the flowers enjoy a longer life span.
Richard from Sheffield Made Plants uses this hack to help his orchids bloom throughout the entire summer.
“August is really a great time for our plants because they’ll be sending out extra growth, with the extra light and warmth, but we need to support that growth with nutrients, to make sure they grow big and strong,” he said.
“I like to feed my plants with house plant focus, there’s nothing particularly special about this, it’s just what I use.
“For flowering plants like orchids, to support it in producing flowers all summer long, I use baby bio-bloom fertiliser.”
It should be noted that too much fertiliser can be equally damaging to plants so make sure you don’t surpass the limit.
How many times do orchids bloom?
Once orchids lose their blooms, people rush to the conclusion that they're ready to be binned.
According to Richard, however, an easy hack gardeners can use to coax their plants into bloom.
“There’s actually still a few more cycles of flowering to be enjoyed," noted the expert. “I’m going to show you exactly what you need to do.
“The fact that she has these two flower spikes is important because there’s a trick you need to do to get her to rebloom successfully."
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Orchids benefit from fertiliser in August
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The trick is to identify where the markings are along the plant's stem. This is where the flowers typically pop out from.
Most of these markings will already be open, but those further down the spike will likely still be closed.
“This is exactly where the reblooming magic will take place,” Richard explained.
“With the right [intervention], this spike will open up and a new spike will emerge with hopefully an abundance of fresh flowers.”